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Rain Dance Lyrics
Don’t you wanna rain dance with me?
Fifi said to Don the baker
Can you show me how to bake another bun, Don,
And I’m still sittin’ with my next door neighbour sayin’
Where’d you get the gun, John?
Don’t you wanna rain dance with me?
Christopher was askin’ the astronomer
Can your telescope tell me where the sun’s gone,
And I’m still sittin’ with my next door neighbour sayin’
Where’d you get the gun, John?
Changin’ just a few things
Laughin’ when the bell rings, on the go
Changin’ just a few things
Shootin’ when the bird sings.
Don’t you wanna rain dance with me?
Can you show me how to bake another bun, Don,
And I’m still sittin’ with my next door neighbour sayin’
Where’d you get the gun, John?
Can your telescope tell me where the sun’s gone,
And I’m still sittin’ with my next door neighbour sayin’
Where’d you get the gun, John?
Laughin’ when the bell rings, on the go
Changin’ just a few things
Shootin’ when the bird sings.
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The Guess Who are from Winnipeg, Canada. Every verse in Rain Dance has a connection to Winnipeg. I don't recall what every verse means or refers to but Fifi is a reference to Eiffel Tower Bakery and Don is a reference to Don's Bakery which were two Winnipeg landmarks. "Where'd you get the gun, John?", refers to John Gunn school in Winnipeg. John Gunn, I believe, was a local politician. Not sure why but there was controversy over naming the school after Mr. Gunn. I am positive it has nothing to do with murder or suicide. Winnipeg was experiencing flooding back in the 60's. A Floodway (aka Duff's ditch) was built at great expense. Almost immediately after completion, a drought hit Winnipeg. The citizens began joking that they would be doing a rain dance to end the drought in order to get some use/value out of the Floodway.
@wardog Thanks! As a side note, guns are illegal in Canada.
@wardog Thanks! As a side note, guns are illegal in Canada.
@wardog As another side note guns are NOT illegal in Canada.
@wardog As another side note guns are NOT illegal in Canada.
@wardog That's a confusing song. I spent time over the last 50 years thinking WTF. Burton Cummings posted in 2024. Kurt Winter was playing the rain dance line on the piano, over and over. John was his duck hunting neighbor, cleaning his shotgun on the porch. "Changing just a few things" was a line he'd had earlier and the rest was made up in the 25 minutes it took to write. (Sometimes a song is just a song; a bit disappointing.)
@wardog That's a confusing song. I spent time over the last 50 years thinking WTF. Burton Cummings posted in 2024. Kurt Winter was playing the rain dance line on the piano, over and over. John was his duck hunting neighbor, cleaning his shotgun on the porch. "Changing just a few things" was a line he'd had earlier and the rest was made up in the 25 minutes it took to write. (Sometimes a song is just a song; a bit disappointing.)
I think this song has to do with a neighbor who plans to commit a sucide or homicide. The other parts of it about the baker and the astronomer are stuff that is happening in other people's lives to serve as a comparison. Whatever it means, it is such a fantastic song!!
To me this song is about a changing world. One that is getting much more dark and scary. I think Fifi and Don are having an afair,John is contemplating suicide or homicide (as above) christopher turns to the astronamer for guidence. He wants to know where the "sun" has gone meaning he wants to know when the world went sour and how to get it back.
I probably read into this song but I always liked it... I figured Fifi was an insignificant character but he was learning a useful craft; baking buns, while John sat around talking about guns. Sitting around talking about guns could be considered a useless pursuit, and some may consider guns potentially harmful. Christopher (Columbus) asked the astronomer if he could see beyond the visible sea to where the sun has gone; to what was he about to sail into? Two people, Fifi and Christopher, doing/learning something useful, both in a big way and a small way, while John the rain dancer, is doing something useless.
Fifi said to Don, the Baker, "Can you show me how to bake another bun, Don?". Meaning, she wants to get pregnant, have another child.
And I'm still sitting with my next-door neighbor saying, "Where'd you get the gun, John?". Meaning, he lost Fifi's love and attention, and indeed is contemplating using a gun. Is it intended to be used for the Baker? For Fifi? Or for himself?
Christopher was asking the astronomer "Can your telescope tell me where the sun's gone?". Meaning, my world is now dark, I see no point in living, I can no longer find happiness.
Don't you wanna rain dance with me? Meaning, in my dark mood with all my loneliness and depression, come walk in the rain with me. It can't get any worse.
Aside from the details of record, rain dance = spilling blood. John wants to take the gun and go take care of that tramp Phobe (aka 'Fifi'), his girlfriend who wants to have Don's baby... ('bundle', not 'bun, Don'). This song is about treachery and loss. John is asking his buddy (the singer) for moral support.
I have no clue what this song means but it is awesome.
its proboly a lot deeper than what i had just posted but... no one else is sayin ne thing so............................ mine must be right :P
its proboly a lot deeper than what i had just posted but... no one else is sayin ne thing so............................ mine must be right :P
Don't you wanna rain dance with me?
I think this song has a bit of native jive to it.
Whatever, the Guess Who rule.